I am new to the board, and am curious what portion of the C&O you all model (assuming that you do) and why you chose it. I am recently retired, and in the beginning stages of designing a layout. I had originally intended to model the Logan sub-division, but am having second thoughts.
I originally intended to model (roughly) the New River Subdivision, mid-1950's. I set aside one end of the layout to represent Thurmond, and an area was reserved to represent Prince and NI Cabin Tower. The rest isn't really specific to any other branch in particular. During the past year or so, I have been trying to come up with a corner of the layout that would be somewhat representative of the B&O in the Cumberland Narrows area. So my latest scheme is to have 2 copies of towers and stations - 1 in C&O colors, the other in B&O colors. Swap as the mood fits and run the appropriate power.
Tim. Thanks for the response. I am waffleing somewhat on what I want to do now. The Logan sub is still very appealing to me due to some very interesting operations, such as the Scarlet Shifter hauling loads of coal up hill for 4 miles to Holden which required a pair of 2-6-6-2s to double a train to the top of Trace Mountain from the mine at Scarlet. Also the left hand running north (timetable west) from the yard at Peach Creek. But I like passenger operations as well, and the Logan sub had but one train per day operated as a turn from Huntington. There was also very little traffic other than coal, and I am afraid I would eventually get bored. So I am now considering the Big Sandy sub which not only had massive amounts of coal traffic but more than double the passenger traffic than the Logan sub. It also had a good amount of manifest freight transfered from the Clinchfield at Elkhorn City. In season, large blocks of refers would be handled between the Clinchfield and Russell yard (eventually bound for Detroit). Plus the large Ashland Oil refinery at Cattlesburg would provide some interesting switching possiblities. I suppose I will settle on something eventually. I hope asking others does not give me more reason to second guess myself. Jim. J
Well....I should say the Chicago Division since it ran through my home town. But if I do that then no H7s, H8s, 2-8-4s 2-10-4s and so on. So I just sort of freelance a bit. Not a rivet counter by trade I just have fun trying to get close and run anything C&O.
I should probably take that tact my self, after all, it is about fun. I tend to get so caught up in being historically accurate, that sometimes I lose sight of the fact that it is a hobby. When it becomes work, it is no longer fun. Thanks for your comments, Jim J.
At times I try and be at least a bit accurate. Lately i have been trying to paint and decal and kitbash some freight cars that arent available in N scale already. I try to get as close as I can. The three foot rule always aplies. But like you say its all in fun!
I model the New River Subdivision. The H-8s ran there as did most other C&O motive power. N-scale allows the scenery of the beautiful area to dominate the trains. Multiple branchlines give operating fun. The videoclip will give an impression of the 2-deck layout. [nomedia="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NNnBy6lvduY"]YouTube- Broadcast Yourself.[/nomedia]
I model the Mountain sub, between Charlottesville and Staunton VA. It is represented loosely though, as I also like the N&W and intend to run N&W power on the layout now and then.
C&O in Indiana Hi, I am in the planning stage currently. The area that I plan to model will be the Chicago Division between Griffith Junction and Burnham Yard. It will include Highland, Hammond and State Line Junction. Not much coal action but lot's of Frieght with interchange with EL, Nickle Plate, Monon, NYC, Grand Trunk, South Shore and Indiana Harbor Belt. See Ya All! :tb-biggrin:
It is unusual to see a C&O pike that is not in their "principal" territory. I applaud your choice. :thumbs_up:. At one time I was considering the old HV line from Columbus to Presque Isle (Toledo Docks) including the helper district up the Powell Moraine, Circa 1950. But I am intimidated by the thought of building truely convincing flat-land scenery. Good Luck with your project! Jim J.
I like my buildings, locos, and rolling stock to be prototype correct, but when it comes to location I like to beat my own drum. For example I model the C&O during wwII but I am from Michigan and like the Pere marquette also but I also like ocean ports I am all over the map!!! I see your in mid-ohio!!!! Whereabouts? I live in Willard
Welcome on board, CSXPAID! It's hard for me not to have Pere Marquette equipment mixed in with my C&O stuff, living in Michigan with the ex-PM tracks in my backyard. At one time I planned on having Michigan on one part of the layout, and then after going around a curve, the rest of the layout would be West Virginia. Might still stick to that plan.
A slight disagreement I saw my share of coal moving on the chicago division years ago. Surely not to the extent it was in Virginia but a fair amount just the same.
I model a fictitious part of the C&O. Set "somewhere" between Charlottesville and the coalfields of north, north central West Virginia. It is centered around a fictitioius city, "Albemarle City". I chose the name Albemarle from Albemarle County, VA which is immediately around Charlottesville.
Ive been thinking about tearing out a wall in the basement and expanding a bit so I can run from the W Virginia area to Chicago. Circa 1860 to 2010!!
My pike is loosely based on the transition era Coal River sub, specifically the Little Coal River and Pond Fork areas where my dad grew up. I'm not sticking too firmly to prototype, prefer a more freestyle approach for my layout to get a bit more flexibility in scenery design and equipment. Even though my main focus will be the 1945 to 1955 period you may find locos and rolling stock from other eras as well.
My current layout Mason's Bridge is pretty much freelanced, although supposed to be somewhere on the C&O, although as I also run Southern as well, I think it's probably most likely set somewhere around the Richmond, Virginia area. However, my next layout, which i'm just about to start building will be most likely based in the Michigan area, with a nice train ferry (if I can get the wife to agree to me using more space). Not sure how I will explain away the Southern RS11, but i'm sure a healthy dose of modeller's license will help.
